MK2 ALH (Build Thread)

Poor King

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PoorKing:
Don't confuse the "gearset", ie: the cogs that mesh together to transmit rotation, with the ring and pinion.
The ring gear is on the differential, and both output shafts in the 02M are the pinions.

It may be possible to use a newer 02Q transmission as a source for both gearset and ring and pinions to build an AWD transmission,
then the change would be to remove the existing ring gear from the AWD transmission, use the ring gear from the new trans, then swap in the input and both output shafts.

If you have the TT transmission and just want a diesel friendly ring and pinion(s), then both of the output shafts will need to be rebuilt to transfer the TT cogs onto the new pinion shafts. Fair bit of work.

-Dave
Thanks for clarifying. I wasn't able to purchase the TT with the DWX in time. I think it was for the the best. I'll try to find a 225TT and do a complete DRW gear swap. I'll purchase a FWD DRW transmission and wait for the right donor car to come around.

I would think you would be better off going to a B5 platform and then you have torsen instead of haldex. Problem is you are dealing with more weight but the platform would likely be better suited for that power/speed level. Plus AWD B5 parts actually exist in decent numbers in the US.
I don't believe there were any AWD B5's here in The States. Also, there are a ton of Haldex A2's pushing 1000hp+ and they seem to be holding up just fine.
 

Poor King

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I have an AWD B5 parked in my driveway. :unsure:
You have a B5 (Not B5.5 w. haldex) with a manual torsen awd ?! That's a very nice car and extremely rare. The last one I saw went for $4,600 which was originally shipped from Canada.




 

oilhammer

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There are just too many to list....
I have a 2004 B5 (if you want the ".5" added, fine, but they had B5s in 4Mo trim sold here, too). That pick of the blue wagon is a B3. About a '90 or so I'd guess.
 

turbocharged798

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That's not a B5, this is a B5.(B5.5 actually) And yes they are torsen, not haldex. Latitudinal engine. And lots of 4 motion ones in the US. Volkswagen_Passat_sedan_--_08-12-2010.jpg
 

Poor King

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I have a 2004 B5 (if you want the ".5" added, fine, but they had B5s in 4Mo trim sold here, too). That pick of the blue wagon is a B3. About a '90 or so I'd guess.
I had an '04 Passat that I got rid of only two months back. I did not know they are torsen awd systems. I always thought torsen cars were referred to as syncro and 4motion pertained to the haldex variant.

That's not a B5, this is a B5.(B5.5 actually) And yes they are torsen, not haldex. Latitudinal engine. And lots of 4 motion ones in the US. View attachment 112740

I contemplated just that with my '04 V6 Passat 4motion. Knowing that the 1.9 tdi will bolt on to the V6 passat's transmission housing, I hunted down an audi a6 manual transmission which had a very similar gearing ratio to match that of the 02J's final drive. I ended up scrapping the idea because swapping the manual unit revealed final drive issues with the torsen's rear diff. And finding a B5.5 with a manual shifter (or the transmission by itself) will be a chore.
 
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oilhammer

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There are just too many to list....
The words "syncro" and "4Motion" in the VW brand, as well as the word "quattro" for the Audi brand, have absolutely no bearing on the actual system the car employs. All those words mean is the car is all wheel drive. That's it. So the B3 Passat pictured above, the B2 Passat (Quantum here), and the 3rd generation Transporter (Vanagon here) all were sold in AWD variants and carried the word "syncro" on them yet shared no parts and used three completely different AWD systems.

They changed the moniker from syncro to 4Motion some time in the mid '90s, not exactly sure when because it was during a period where no AWD Volkswagens were being sold here. Audi, however, not only never stopped selling AWD cars here since they came out in the early '80s, but never stopped branding them quattro (lower case 'q', as the word "Quattro" is an actual specific model of the brand). And again, all quattro means is the car is AWD, and there have been various versions over the years, some new versions have come out just within the last few years.

Haldex and Torsen are two brand/types that have been used, but not all AWD VAG products have actually used one or the other.
 

d24tdi

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They changed the moniker from syncro to 4Motion some time in the mid '90s, not exactly sure when because it was during a period where no AWD Volkswagens were being sold here.
Trivia answer: I think that change was somewhere right around '99 or '00. I remember reading the early preview magazine articles on the B5 4Mo cars as they were about to be introduced, and they referred to them as a Passat Syncro. Between the time those press previews were written and when the cars actually came to market, the name was changed to 4Motion. So whatever was the first year of the US B5 4Motion (at that time all V6/auto) cars was the switchover.

I assume Europe probably got the AWD B5 Passat models sooner so they probably had some that were called Syncros, but we never did here. IIRC the final US-marketed Syncro-branded model was the Vanagon, in '91.

FWIW: there appears to be a lot of confusion in this thread about compatibility of different platforms (longitudinal vs transverse) and platform names (calling a B3 a B5 etc). Just a note for anyone reading the discussion in the future to cross-check carefully any info you find here and want to use, some is good but some needs correction.
 

oilhammer

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There are just too many to list....
d24tdi, I totally agree, and I think you are right about the 4Motion intro, as the B5 Passat debuted in 1998, and there were no AWD versions sold here at first, and you are correct when they did finally get here they were initially all the ATQ V6 and automatic. At some point, the AWM 1.8t (what mine is) became available with 4Mo and even manuals were made available. Even the W8s, which were all 4Mo, had a manual (6sp) option.
 

redbarron55

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My old friend Lee Hurley (holder of the pickup truck world's speed record) and owner of Hesco engine builders always said, "Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?"
Car cost X $$$ squared = possible speed.
 

Poor King

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This will probably end up being my build thread. I found this 6spd donor in Delaware at a price I can agree with. I'll purchase the euro tdi gearing for the swap, then drop my 02J or donor 02M with US gearing back into this TT and resell it as a fwd...

I wonder if taking out the rear diff will affect the integrity of the suspension or the geometry.


 
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oilhammer

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There are just too many to list....
The FWD TT uses the twist beam rear suspension, just like the FWD 4th gen Golf upon which it is based.

If you removed the rear Haldex/diff unit, you'd still need to have the outer CV joints bolted into the rear hubs to keep the bearings together. And your donor car I assume will need a rear suspension too, so... chances are that TT will be scrapped :(
 

Poor King

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The last thing I need is to cross my finger and hope to part it out. Because it's adding up with what having to buy a Euro tdi 02m and all. This pic gives me some hope that all the links are without need of detachment when removing the rear diff.

 

Poor King

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I am thinking of using 2X4 (or larger) square steel tubing as a cross member and then fab a 1/4" steel bracket to bolt the diff to it.

What's the best method you've seen, or are there companies out there that already have a kit for the mk2 Jetta?
 

MrDave

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The traditional method is to convert a syncro rear end to fit the haldex rear diff.
Like DutchBuild



The mk2 is very similar to the Corrado, there's alot of info out there for converting Corrados.
Here's a good place to start.

If you aren't a purist, there are lots of other RWD or AWD cars that could provide the rear suspension system.
You'll have to use the Haldex rear diff, you won't find another rear diff that has the correct ratio.
I'm a fan of the E28 rear suspension, with the added bonus of a 4x100 bolt pattern.



If you are a glutton for punishment, or a good welder,
drop the top half of the Jetta over the Audi TT bottom half.
like here.


-Dave
 

Poor King

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Yes, I did earlier today morning and it could be done when they drop the new mounts next week..ish. They did not exist 2 months back when I spoke to them about ALH+02J fitment into their 4cyl crossmember. Once I got the confirmation, I paid the shipping company to bring in the donor TT.
 

Poor King

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Fabless team sent some pics of their motor mount confirming turbo clearance with an ALH in a mk2.



 

Poor King

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Guess i'll start posting pics from this past summer.. I've scoured the internet in hopes of gaining some direction on the correct way to accomplish this conversion, and the more I read the less I know.

Here's Dirty Diesel (previous owner named it). Leaky sunroof, missing side strips, you know the drill. Won A full set of Mille Miglia wheels + Bfgoodrich track tires for $1 + free shipping on eBay lol... Gave the seller $80 just because.





This was to be the first donor car. An autotragic '04 Passat V6 AWD I purchased for $1150. Had the cool W8 headlights. As I previously mentioned: the original plan was a longitudinal swap with an Audi A6 2.7T 6spd transmission to the ALH. Unfortunately the transmission and rear syncro diff had conflicting final drives so I had to ditch the Syncro swap and sold the car.



Here's the donor ALH '02 donor Jetta. Dash is in great condition for a car with 400k.




Started to gut it.. Off-the-top, does anyone know where that pink one plugs into? Found it unplugged when I purchased the car and drove it home anyways...


Mandatory carbon crust pic 😷




Wiring is going to be a horror show for myself. Guess I have to find some patience and WD40 to get rid of the sticky stuff. I salvaged the entirety of the loom from motor bay, to brakes, to rear tail lights. The goal is to retrofit it ALL into the mk2 as a complete swap along with the heater box, dashboard, cluster, and sensors.


 
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Poor King

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Just figured out the 1.8T clutch is a direct fit for the ALH and the TT supposedly has a stage 3 of some sort. Also has a fmic which is the proper size to fit behind the front grill of the mk2. So I'm not completely unhappy about the price I got it for. I'm parting it out and hoping to shove some dollars back into my pockets.
 

Markus L

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Hmm. First you doubted that it can be done and now that you see it can be done, you are questioning where. 1/2 tracks are going to be the next wave of enthusiast motoring in the coming years. The first track in The States was just finished in South Georgia.
What does 1/2 track mean? 1/2 mile?
 

Markus L

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You need quite a lot of power to achieve 180 mph trap speed in standing 1/2 mile. For example that Mk2 Golf in post #34 did only 175 mph and you can see from the video that there's a significant tailwind.

Here's one example of standing mile with around 350 bhp:

 

Poor King

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The TT has a few upgrades done by the previous owner. Anyone know the easiest way to take out the haldex transmission. I'm thinking to start on the rearend and make my way up.


 

Poor King

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After a year long wait sourcing parts, it is time for the teardown on the Jetta. A few more pics from today..

 

Poor King

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Sorry to disappoint anyone who have come this far because the jetta will no longer receive the awd swap. I purchased a mk2 Gti and that will now acquire the awd project.

The jetta will still receive the ALH swap and stay fwd.


 
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